Again
by 1angelette
Summary: After Ty Lee begins travelling with Azula, the two pick up where they left off. In bed. Femmeslash.


**Title:** Again  
**Rating: **PG-13 for some adult themes, token amounts of Azula being not quite sane_  
_**Characters/pairings: **Azula/Ty Lee

**Summary: **Post-RTO. Azula and Ty Lee pick up where they left off. In bed.

**Length:** Barely a thousand.  
**Notes: **Contains gratuitous amounts of Azula scheming, thanks to the influence the opinions of fire-lord-azula have had on my view of her. Fics are much harder to write when you take into account the fact that one half of your OTP isn't sane… Betaed by Sara Jaye.

Azula found it surprisingly liberating to be in a tent. A very well-furnished tent, of course, but it was still a tent. It was just her and a small, elite team of her two closest allies (best friends, a softer-hearted girl would have called them), together and free under the stars. True, she had no servants, but that meant no-one to interrupt her planning.

Planning. What was to be done of her foolish relatives? They were in the Earth Kingdom, she knew that much, but where? That blasted country was larger than her uncle's stomach. Well, surely two firebenders couldn't go unnoticed for long. That matter would resolve itself. She would have to mimic her stubborn enemies and wait for exactly the right moment to strike.

Then there was the Avatar and his water peasant girlfriend. (The other boy, a nonbender and complete buffoon, barely crossed her mind.) Rather powerful – they had actually given a slightly annoying fight earlier today. She saw their fatal flaw, though, one the two children shared: They were weak, believing in foolish things like trust, goodness, hope, and love. The Avatar in particular, she had heard, seemed to have some deep conviction that he could never take a life. She was certain that would cause the little boy trouble sooner or later.

There wasn't anything the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation had to worry about, then. Victory would come to her like a moth-owl flew to a lantern. It was only a matter of watching the time go by and, occasionally, lifting a finger or two.

Satisfied, Azula blew out the lamp at her bedside and placed her head on the pillow. Just as sleep was about to claim her, however, there was a sound of footsteps on the ground just outside her tent.

"Who's there?" the girl demanded, creating two fireballs in her palms.

"Calm down!" came a high-pitched voice. "It's just me."

Azula frowned and put out her fire. "Ty Lee? What are you doing here?"

The acrobat smiled gratefully and sat down on the foot of the bed. "I just wanted to talk, 'Zula."

"Just wanted to talk? In the middle of the night? You had better have a good reason." She paused a moment before adding, "And I told you not to call me 'Zula."

Ty Lee looked surprised. "Oh. Sorry about that, princess." She shifted into a kneeling position. "So, do you remember that day we graduated from the second form of the Academy and I told you I was running away for the circus and you and me and Mai all cried and we hugged for a really long time, but Mai sort of stopped so it was just you and me and—"

"Yes, yes," Azula said, trying to make sure she didn't talk herself to death. "I remember.

"And how I stammered for three whole minutes and eventually I said you had the best dress in the Fire Nation?"

The princess smirked, recalling that outfit. "It was a great dress."

"I know," Ty Lee gushed, "it was like something a spirit would wear – but I wanted to say something else."

Suddenly Azula's eyes went wide. "You aren't telling me that you're descended from the Air Nomads on your mother's side?"

Ty Lee blinked. "Uh, no. It's definitely not that."

"Well, what is it, then? I told you, it's night."

The princess crossed her arms and glared. The other girl started to fidget, clearly looking for a way out. After a minute, though, she scrunched up her face and did something shocking: She leaned forward and kissed Azula on the lips.

Very quickly Ty Lee backed away and put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Princess Azula! It's just that I've wanted this so much, for so long, and…"

Azula couldn't speak. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning and then eaten the world's sweetest piece of candy. She sensed an obligation to say something, though, so interrupted the girl. "Ty Lee, just how long have you had this desire?"

"Uh…" The acrobat wrinkled her nose. "Do you remember that time Mai blushed at Zuko and you had a plan and we—"

"Yes."

"Well, since a little before that."

Azula frowned. "That is a very long time."

She shrugged. "Well, people do that. Sometimes it can take a really long time for someone to really deal with being in love with—"

The princess held up her hand disapprovingly. "Wait. Did you just say love?"

Immediately Ty Lee flushed and began to clamber off of the bed. "Uh, maybe I should go—"

"No!" Azula impulsively cried, grabbing her wrist. "I… stay." The girl sat back down, and Azula sighed, looking into her eyes. "I was always taught – and so were you – that love was a myth invented to help people cope with advantageous marriages, or to make fools think they want to help someone. You're already my most devoted ally, and… well, obviously there'd never be any marriage. You understand, then, we have no reason to believe ourselves 'in love,' as you put it?"

Ty Lee opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it and nodded. "Yes, princess."

"However, Azula continued, a smirk on her lips, "that doesn't mean we can't have a different kind of mutually beneficial relationship."

The other girl blinked. "What do you mean, Azula?"

The princess smiled. "Allow me to demonstrate."

With that she placed her hands on Ty Lee's shoulders and kissed her hard. Ty Lee stood still in surprise for a few seconds, but then she eagerly reciprocated, opening her mouth and throwing her arms around Azula's neck.

The two girls kept on kissing for a few minutes, until Azula drew away from her. "Now, she said, placing a hand on her cheek, "did you enjoy that?"

"Oh, more than anything else I've ever done!" Ty Lee said breathlessly.

"Would you like to do it again?"

She answered with her tongue, but not her throat.


End file.
